Players can also equip up to four different augmentations, two of which act as special abilities. There’s a rather wide variety of weapons for the players to choose from, as well as tactical equipment such as grenades, drones, and turrets. How you choose to go into a firefight is up to you as your indent’s gear can be tailored to however you see fit. Players can also evade incoming fire by utilizing their dodge roll or crouch behind cover if they need a second to breathe. You’ll walk with the left stick and aim with the right, using the right shoulder trigger to fire. The controls are relatively simple, easy to learn, and quite honestly, the game is a blast to play. It’s something I really came to appreciate, especially since the game’s cutscenes are so brief.ĭeveloped by Neon Giant, a team made up of twelve people, The Ascent is an explosive, top-down, twin-stick shooter set in the cyberpunk world of Veles. You’re always being acknowledged as an individual within the game’s narrative instead of just being Poone’s lapdog or whoever you’re working with. The game never makes you feel like you’re in the background blindly following orders while other characters interact with each other which I feel is often an issue with these sorts of protagonists. Security is tipped off of course and you’re identified the moment you walk through the door but it’s you who gets identified. For instance, there’s a moment where you go to a nightclub called “Dream World”. Even the characters you encounter on the side are quite enjoyable.Īnother highlight of the game’s writing is that even though your Indent is your typical silent protagonist, they always seem to have a presence within the story. I also can’t leave out the IMP, which is your AI partner that gives off strong HK-47 vibes. NogHead is just one of the many fun and goofy beings you’ll encounter throughout The Ascent. You’re introduced to him while doing a job for your stack boss, Poone and he becomes a close ally. One of my favorites is a Keesh hacker named “nogHead”, who is a member of one of the game’s alien races. Despite the game’s dark cyberpunk aesthetic, the cast of characters you interact with are quite lighthearted and fun. This leaves you and your boss looking for a way to restore order to the stack while reclaiming your independence in the process.Īlthough I wasn’t able to beat The Ascent by the time I wrote this review, I managed to experience a large portion of the writing and I rather enjoyed it. That is, however, until the day the company suddenly shuts down, without any warning and throwing the entire stack into chaos. That’s just life for you on Veles, doing the shit jobs day by day given to you by your stackboss, Poone. You start at the lowest point of your character’s life, literally fixing a waste management problem and breathing in fecal matter in what is known as the “deepStink”. In an effort to pay off your travel loan, players assume the role of an indentured servant(a.k.a “Indent”) for The Ascent Group arcology, who owns you and everyone else in “theWarrens” district you call a home.
On Veles, people live within a city that is stacked on top of itself with each district being known as a “stack”.
Meet new people, it’ll be fun,” they said…įilled with people and creatures from all over the galaxy, Veles is a planet owned by various mega-corporations who exploit the planet for its various resources.
They have an offer you won’t want to refuse and should you sign on the dotted line, you won’t be able to refuse it anyway. If you answered yes to any of those questions (don’t lie, we know you said yes to all of them) then come see the Ascent Group today. Have you ever dreamed of seeing the stars? How about visiting unknown planets? Maybe at one point in your life, you wished you could ask a mega-corporation for an astronomical loan and work as a slave for the company in an effort to achieve those dreams? Thanks the to team at Neon Giant, your prayers have been answered.